Chalke Valley Soaps

Chalke Valley Soaps is a small family-run business offering 100% natural handmade soaps, bath salts and eco-friendly accessories.

Our story began in early 2020, driven by an urgent desire to support those in need during challenging times. While Chalke Valley Soaps emerged as a response to the pandemic, it marks only the beginning of a remarkable journey that continues to unfold.

My beloved Grannie used to make her own soaps using natural lye and different fats. She told me that my great-grandmother even made her own lye out of hardwood ash. As a child, I remember her soaps were massive and smelt beautiful; she would use them for bathing, hand washing, and even the laundry. She planted the seed in my head and started a lifelong love of natural soaps!

My first attempt at cold process soap making was in 2010 with the help of my dad.  We created cinnamon soap which turned out disastrously…. they came out brown, sticky and just about hard enough to use. I didn’t like the texture, but I loved the smell. Not deterred, I decided to keep persevering but instead opted for the melt & pour process, which was a safer method to use around my young family and made simple soaps for personal use and gifts. I was working my dream job as a professional photographer for years when I had an almost fatal accident in September 2019, during our family holiday in Greece. I broke my leg and hip which kicked me off for some time. As soon as I recovered and was ready to work again, a virus came…

When we experienced soap shortages during the first few months of the pandemic, I knew that I could help those around me. With the support of my family, we started making melt & pour bars using soap bases that I had left in the cupboard from previous projects. I then very quickly swapped to the “real” cold-process method as I wanted to create soap bars from scratch and have 100% control over the ingredients used. This was my opportunity to not only create a completely natural soap but to also ensure that all aspects of my products are kind to our environment by being zero-waste.

During the pandemic, we left small soap bars outside our house on a daily basis with a small suggested donation to help cover the costs. Word soon got around and our little soap kitchen became very popular. Overwhelmed by local feedback and donations, we were able to produce larger soap bars and we started to make contributions to our local NHS trust.

We have worked hard on mastering the cold process method and after a few fails, lots of practice; a large dose of patience, we believe that we have created a unique luxurious formula which not only looks and smells amazing, but is also kind to both skin and the planet.

We are dedicated to crafting high-quality, healthy skincare products that captivate our customers' hearts, whether as a personal indulgence or a cherished, eco-conscious luxury gift. We are passionate about looking after our beautiful planet and take pride in creating sustainable, zero-waste products, delivered in plastic-free packaging. Our workshop is located in the most beautiful countryside within the Chalke Valley, Wiltshire.